Shogun tells the story of an English pilot, John Blackthorne, in charge of five Dutch ships whose purpose is to break the Portuguese monopoly on Japanese trade. Instead, the pilot becomes embroiled in Japanese politics as Lord Toranaga Yoshi employs him as his secret weapon. Shogun uses straightforward storytelling techniques to keep readers riveted as they imagine themselves in the position of the English pilot.

By the end, the reader has learned about Japan alongside Blackthorne as he attempts to survive.

Clavell's book is a celebration of heroic deeds that changed the course of history for people all over the world. In this context, heroes are figures who withstood the aggressions of Spain or bravely sailed into the unknown oceans to discover new lands, people, and riches. Such historic figures as Queen Elizabeth I are thus described in glowing terms. The Portuguese of the past&mdash...